Feature Archives

The campaign against science experiments on animals at the University of California continues to grow stronger, but not without opposition. Over the last several months, activists have been conducting frequent demonstrations outside the homes of UC animal researchers -- a handful of people with signs, a bullhorn and some literature to hand out to neighbors.

On May 17th, Act Against Torture, World Cant Wait, Code Pink, and Vet’s for Peace participated in a demonstration at the UC Berkeley School of Law graduation to demand that Professor John Yoo, author of the legal memo justifying the Bush administration's use of torture, be fired, disbarred and prosecuted for war crimes.

Berkeley Copwatch has organized a Know Your Rights and Copwatching Training Week for Saturday, May 24th through Friday, May 30th in Berkeley. Copwatch observes police interactions with civilians and teaches community members about their basic rights with the police as well as how to effectively observe police actions. The week of free events will include three Know Your Rights Trainings and a screening of "These Streets are Watching" After each training, participants will have the option of joining Berkeley Copwatch on a Copwatching shift.

On May 8th on the Cal State East Bay (CSUEB) campus, the Queer/Straight Alliance (QSA) sponsored a Mock Marriage for Marriage Equality and a LGBT Resource Fair. Five couples, of varying sexes, genders, and sexualities were mock married and three ceremony types were utilized: a Jewish ceremony, a Pagan hand fasting, and a Christian ceremony. There were also participants of varying ethnicities within the ceremonies.

Farm Sanctuary, which operates the largest rescue and refuge network for farm animals in North America, and Animal Place, a nonprofit sanctuary for abused and discarded farmed animals, have responded to a call from Santa Cruz Animal Services and are coming to the aid of 14 neglected animals confiscated from a Watsonville slaughterhouse on May 1st. The rescued animals—12 goats, one cow and one sheep—were discovered at the Lee Road slaughter facility on May 1st by Todd Stosuy of Santa Cruz Animal Services, when he noticed a cow with a bloody horn from the road and initiated an investigation.

Direct Action to Stop the War brought its anti-war focus to May Day actions in San Francisco and Oakland on May 1st. Starting at 5:45 a.m. at West Oakland BART, DASW lead a community picket to shut down the Union Pacific rail lines at the Port of Oakland. From 12:30-2:30pm, DASW marched from Justin Herman Plaza to protests at the Armed Forces Recruiting Center (670 Davis St. at Broadway) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (630 Sansome St. at Washington St.). DASW also had a contingent at labor and immigrant rights demonstrations on May Day.

On Thursday April 24th, Indybay will participate in a panel discussion, sponsored by Media Alliance, about building community in the practice of independent media. The program will be held at the Unitarian Universalist Church at the corner of Cedar and Bonita in Berkeley, at 7:00 p.m. The program is an effort on the part of Indybay and Media Alliance to promote independent media in the Bay Area.